Two police officers and a Sun journalist were arrested today by detectives investigating alleged corrupt payments to public officials.

The reporter - named by sources as the newspaper's crime reporter Anthony France - has become the 22nd journalist from the News International title to be arrested in Scotland Yard's investigation into corrupt payments to public officials between 2004 and 2011.

Today’s arrests are a result of information provided to police by News Corporation’s Management and Standards Committee.

More arrests: Two officers and a journalist have been arrested as a result of information passed to the police by New's Corporation's Management and Standard's Committee

The 39-year-old journalist was held at his home in Hertfordshire on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt and conspiracy to cause misconduct in a public office and is being interviewed at a police station in north London.

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News International chief executive Mike Darcey said today it was 'particularly disappointing' that another journalist from the company had been arrested.

Officers investigating alleged bribes to public officials arrested two policemen and a reporter, named by sources as crime correspondent Anthony France, at their homes this morning.

Mr Darcey said in an internal message to staff: 'It is particularly disappointing that these incidents, the first under my watch, and which have recently become less frequent, continue to take place.

'We will continue to seek further clarity on the state of the police investigations.'

Arrest: Officers from the Met have arrested two men as part of an investigation into an alleged paedophile ring

One of the police officers, a
47-year-old man, is from the Metropolitan Police Specialist Operations
command and was arrested in Surrey on suspicion of misconduct in public
office and corruption.

Scotland Yard added that the Specialist
Operations officer does not work in the Royalty Protection unit or the
Diplomatic Protection Group.

The
other, a 30-year-old man, is from the Met’s Specialist Crime and
Operations command and was held in Surrey on suspicion of the same
offences.

Today’s arrests bring the number of people detained as part of Operation Elveden, the investigation into alleged corrupt payments by journalists, to 56.

Specialist Crime and Operations deals with a range of serious offences across the capital, including murder, rape and organised gangs.

It also provides armed officers and dog handlers and deals with public order issues.

Specialist Operations deals with protection of public figures including the Royal Family and Government ministers, counter-terrorism and security at the Houses of Parliament and City and Heathrow Airports.